SMS blaster devices on London Underground send mass fake Royal Mail and Evri texts to passengers

What is this scam?

Metropolitan Police have uncovered criminal groups operating portable SMS blasting devices concealed in suitcases on the London Underground. The devices impersonate legitimate mobile network base stations and broadcast fake Royal Mail and Evri delivery scam texts directly to passengers' phones as trains pass through stations. Because the messages are delivered via what appears to be a genuine cellular connection rather than the internet, they can bypass standard spam filters and appear in the recipient's existing delivery thread alongside real messages from those brands.

Example scam message

Red flags to look out for

• The message creates urgency — threatening a fine, missed delivery, or account closure.
• Links lead to unofficial domains that don't match the real company's website.
• You weren't expecting this message and can't verify the event it references.
• It asks you to confirm payment details or personal information via a link.
• The sender's number or email address doesn't match the company's official contact.

What to do if you receive this

1. Do not click any links or pay any fee mentioned in the message.
2. Check your parcel status directly on the courier's official website using your tracking number.
3. Forward the message to 7726 (free spam reporting, works on all UK networks).
4. Report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.